Ruling party, government jointly push for powerful agencies revamp
Cheong Wa Dae, the government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea announced a reformation plan Thursday that will check and balance the power of investigative and intelligence authorities.
The purpose of the scheme unveiled after their joint meeting at the National Assembly is to “disperse authority that powerful agencies hold and control them in democratic ways.”
“The core is overhauling powerful agencies that have reigned over the people into state institutions that serve the people through checks and balances,” Democratic Party Floor Leader Kim Tae-nyeon said.
The National Intelligence Service will seek to change its name to the External Security and Intelligence Service, roughly translated, and relinquish its investigative function on espionage cases to the police.
Seeking to enhance the transparency of group, it will strictly ban political interference of its agents such as engagement with the National Assembly while open its audit director position to outsiders.
The Democratic Party plans to submit a bill containing the schemes to make revisions to existing law regarding the agency.
The prosecution’s investigative power will be diminished as the scope of crimes that prosecutors can launch a direct investigation into will be limited to six categories – corruption, business, government officials, elections, defense business and major catastrophic accidents.
“We greatly reduced the excessive direct investigation power, which has been pointed out as the prosecution’s problem and dispersed authority that has been concentrated on prosecutors,” Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae said.
Adding momentum to President Moon Jae-in‘s prosecution reform drive, the National Assembly in December and January passed a set of bills aiming to reform the prosecution.
The bills included adjusting investigative rights and establishing an independent anti-corruption investigative agency.
Under the overhaul plan, police will have wider investigative powers for grave crimes and more authority, strengthening its autonomy to have a horizontal relations with the prosecution. So far, prosecutors have played a directive role over police such as granting approval to police to open cases.
Prosecutors and police are obligated to have a prior consultation when facing conflicts in opinion over investigation procedures on important cases.
The ruling party and the government decided to adopt a new self-governing regional-level police system in addition to the existing national police system.
If the new system takes force, police committees under regional cities and provinces will be put in charge of supervising regional-level police forces independently of the national police forces, according to the announcement.
By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)
- 最近发表
-
- 7 Reasons to Explore Boston’s Lesser
- 三尺讲台上无悔付出 33年诠释教师担当
- 依法依规 对涉嫌违法行为进行处理
- Man Utd aim to keep Man City title celebrations on ice
- Alcaraz, Sinner survive US Open wobbles
- 'The Cleaners' shows why human content moderators can't be outsourced
- 'Darkest building on Earth' is at 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang
- Fonseca backs Mourinho to thrive at Roma
- 特写|在农事定向大赛遇见和美乡村
- 12 gifts to give yourself, because why not
- 随机阅读
-
- Wordle today: The answer and hints for August 27
- S. Korea implements tougher rules on animal abuse, pet owners
- Main opposition to seek prosecution probe against chief justice
- 1.08亿元财政资金、193个示范点,绿美广东又有“大动作”
- 雅安公安接连破获两起汉源湖非法捕捞案
- 'The Cleaners' shows why human content moderators can't be outsourced
- Man Utd aim to keep Man City title celebrations on ice
- Pyongyang calls UN 'unfair organization,' vows to fight sanctions
- [Graphic News] Average book price nears 20,000 won
- 依法依规 对涉嫌违法行为进行处理
- 12 gifts to give yourself, because why not
- S. Korea implements tougher rules on animal abuse, pet owners
- Pixel 9 Pro XL hands
- 只缘心留此城中!夏季的湛江,“鲜美”得令人陶醉
- Experts show mixed responses to Kim Jong
- Moon advisor anticipates 'new possibilities' with Kim's letter to Trump
- The AI stock bubble has burst. Here's how we know.
- Nadal, Osaka win top Laureus sports awards
- S. Korea implements tougher rules on animal abuse, pet owners
- Volkswagen drivers can unlock their cars with Siri
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-